


Next round is on me

by Alex_E



Category: Iron Fist (TV)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Drinking & Talking, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 02:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15920631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alex_E/pseuds/Alex_E
Summary: Ward and Colleen having drinks waiting for the others.





	Next round is on me

He is downtown in a bar _again_. The one ClaIre told him about. The one that was apparently the place to be and was trending. What that meant was that it is packed with college students and he feels a little out of place. But he is on top of the damn world tonight. The press meeting went well he got one up on Joy, and everything with Rand is on schedule. It’s worth celebrating. With shots of whiskey. Because fuck it. Fuck everything and most of all fuck Joy. He slid on the bar stool and ordered a double whiskey neat.  
He downed the glass rolled his head back and closed his eyes for a moment letting the taste wash over him. “Another!" He slaps a couple bills on the bar, and the bartender stacks up another whiskey, he knocks it back. "Thanks, man and keep them coming."

“Anytime” the bartender said.

Colleen spots Ward and strides towards him. She grabs a bar stool moves it close to Ward and sits down. She’s gesturing the bartender for two more shots. Ward knocks back his shot without saying anything. Colleen watches him, then, after a moment, does the same. He looked around. "I thought this was supposed to be a big night out?"

"It is, or was."

"So where is everybody?”

"Elsewhere."

"So I see. Elsewhere in general or is there a particular elsewhere? And if there is, should we be elsewhere too?"

"Well there are several elsewheres," Colleen went to explain.

“Matt and Karen have “date night. Misty is working a double shift, so she is stuck at the precinct.”

“So are going to be joined by anyone at all tonight?" 

"Depends.”

“Oh” Ward adds, “by the way Jessica isn’t coming, she said she had her first free night in three whole weeks and she wasn't going to pass that up just to hang out with us.” 

"Nice to see she has her priorities straight." Colleen replied as she gave Ward a knowing look.

Colleen looks at her phone. “Danny just texted he is tied up in a raid at the moment.”Ward raised his brow in surprise.

“Dont worry not a real one a pokemon go raid.”

“Is that still a thing?”

“Apparently it is they released new pokemon and you know Danny, he's gotta catch em all.”

Ward snorts at that. He hears the familiar chime of facebook messenger coming out of his jacket. He pulls out his phone and glances quickly “Claire just lets me know she is running late she is covering the ER tonight. Luke is picking her up…….So it's just us. ”

“Gives us a chance to get to know each other  
we never really hang out.”

“We hang out.”

“No we don't .”

“You speak with Claire and Danny and that's it.”

"You never struck me as the talkative type."

"You know what I mean!" Colleen blurted out, sounding exasperated.

“I am not very good with this, tough.” Ward says as he waves an indifferent hand.

“Drinking?”

“People.”

“Also Damny is family and Claire is a good friend,” he adds.

Colleen nods in agreement, “She keeps it real but she is kind of bossy sometimes.”

“And she always seems to know what’s going on, even if you haven’t seen her in weeks.”

“I know right.”

“It creeps me out sometimes.”

He sips his drink while Colleen looks pensive for a moment “I thinks she has a spy network, that’s who all those people are that come in from out of town to her mom's restaurant.” They both laugh at that and somehow the ice is broken between them.

“So we should toast.” Colleen suggest in a light tone.

"And what are we toasting?"

"I don't fucking know. Getting drunk on a weekday?"

“Works for me ”Ward sloshed the glass back in an instant. “So how was Paris?” Ward tried to ask her casually.

“I was afraid Danny would propose,” Colleen says as Ward nearly chokes on his drink by hearing her revelation. “He’d probably think Paris would be romantic.”

“Looks like romance died out earlier than was previously thought."

“I don't understand marriage.” Colleen says with a serious tone to her voice. 

“It's a mysterious institution.” Ward agrees with her.

“You never wanted it?” Coleen asks Ward while she fiddles with a coaster.

“Is that a proposal? “ Ward tells her with a sly grin on his face. 

“Yes. I've been watching you from afar.” Colleen chuckles. He looked up from his drink "very funny.” "I'm a funny woman." "I've always said there was something funny about you," Ward said dryly. Colleen rolled her eyes. 

It's not that-I don't want to, Coleen stumbles a bit as she struggles to find the proper wording. ”I just don't know if I want a family. Mine wasn't exactly a walk in the park.” 

“All families are dysfunctional, right?”

“Ain't that the truth” 

“I am ordering us something else tonight you need something stronger.” Ward declares as he is already waving to the bartender trying to get his attention.

“There is something stronger than whiskey?”

“Yes there's nothing like Mexican beer and tequila to provide a memorable hangover."

"Sounds like something to aim for."

"There's a time and a place for everything," Ward said sagely, then added with a flash of a grin, "even puking your guts up in a bar after swallowing the worm at the bottom of a bottle of really cheap mescal."

"I didn't think you drank cheap liquor." 

"Like I said. Time and place."

“So how are things at the office?” Colleen asks him. What she means is how are you and your sister holding up. Ward appreciates that she doesn't ask him flat out.

“With Joy good, we kept the shouting to a minimum today. We also had a productive meeting involving death treats........It's progress.”

“Why the solemn look then?” Colleen asks despite the soft, worried expression on her face, Ward detected a hint of sadness in her tone.

Instead of answering right away he rubbed his hands on his face, he is tired, tired off it all….”God I need a break. I need a break somewhere far……….Vanuatu or something.”

“Can I come with you?”

“Sure.” 

Colleen smiled gratefully at Ward’s offer, ”We can leave Danny with his other superheroes.“ 

“Good.” Ward nods.

“I think might stay though.” 

“In Vanuatu?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Ward quuckly thought it over, “ I can do that too. Don’t you think Danny will mind?”

“He'll get over it. You don't think Jessica will mind?”

“I don't think Jessica will notice, she'll binge watch Stranger Things without me.”

Colleen cocked her head to the side and smiled at him.

“You’re actually watching Netflix with your girlfriend?” “Yeah, we’ve been watching this show called Stranger Things,” Ward explained. “It is really good. A lot of… strange things going down, but the kids are good. They make the show. We are half way on the second season right now.”

“You really do like her don't you?"

"Of course I like her."

"No, I mean you really like her." Ward leaned down on the counter and sighed. If he admits his feelings to Colleen she is never going to let him live this down or worse she might tell Danny. He does it anyway.  
"Is it that obvious?"

"Not really. I've just been noticing how you look at her differently these days."

"How do I look at her?"

"Adoringly."

"I do not."

"Yes you do and besides your eyes light up whenever I mention her name."

“Watching Netflix and having sex is different than being in a sustained relationship, or being in love for that matter.” Ward shrugs.

“Really? Colleen continues, she is relentless.  
“So you just smile like an idiot when you receive a text or get antsy when she doesn’t text you for two hours?” Ward looks at the countertop and bites the inside of his cheeks to keep from smiling, “I might.” He does, Colleen is right. Dammit.

They're both being silly but he is enjoying the lightness. It's been weeks since he had a proper laugh.

New drinks arrived and their conversation ranged all over the place. Ward confessed his undying devotion to Game of Thrones. And Colleen shyly described how it felt like growing up in the US feeling like a stranger at first but ended up with her own dojo and even entering in some competitions. After a while their conversation reached a natural lull until Colleen took a sharp breathe and looked at Ward;

“I didn't expect to like you.” 

“I didn't think you would.” 

“We should do this again” 

“I would like that.”

They sit and talk and drink and have fun. Danny joins them about an hour and a half later followed by a harried looking Claire and Luke. 

Danny is smiling brightly and decides to give everyone a hug.

“So what were you guys talking about?” He asks cheerfully as he takes in the various empty shot glasses and beer bottles decorating the bar.

“Oh you know the usual,” Colleen replies casually  
“Getting hitched and running away together.”  
Ward snorts in his drink. Danny looks at Colleen confusion clear on his face. 

All in all it is a great night


End file.
